Tobacco stemming machine



Oct. 11, 1932. c. w. GoocH, JR

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28. 1931 4 SheecsSheet 1 azzwsz mmwZ-wl N\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ V Il ATTORNEY Oct. 11, 1932. c w GQOCHI JR 1,881,497

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 28, 1951 INVENTORCZaLZa/"we W aback/7? BY M M ATTORNEY TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE FiledOct. 28, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 27 I 7 v INVENTOR zaLborne 50062;

' ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1932 uarrso stares PATENT orriea CLAIBORNEW. GOOCI-I, JR., 0]? LYNGHBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR 'IO UNITED CIGARETTEMACHINE COMPANY, IL TC., OF LYNCI-IBUBG, VIRGINIA, A CQRPORATION OFVIRGINIA.

TOBACCO STEMMING MACHINE Application filed October 28, 1931. Serial No.571,598,

The present invention relates to improvements in tobacco stemmingmachines and especially with the means for removing the tobacco stripsfrom the stemming elements, and applying it in particular to the type ofstemming machine which has stemming elements mounted on chains at spacedintervals.

It is an object of the invention to provide an auxiliary surface incooperation with the stripping elements for the purpose of preventingthe tobacco from moving out of the range of the cleaning roll or rollsand there by accomplish or provide for the complete removal of thetobacco from the carding member. It is a further object of the inven-,tion to provide various forms for the auxiliary surface.

The invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which likereference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view with, a number of parts in section of thestemming mechanism of a stemming machine showing the yielding surfacebrushes.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified con struction,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a further modifiedconstruction.

Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the upper right end of themechanism of a still further modified construction,

Fig. 5 shows a number of detailed views of a modified supportingsurface, and

Fig. 6 shows a number of detailed views of the cleaning rolls. 7 Theoperation of the stemming machine as illustrated is as follows:

The tobacco leaves are held by their butt ends 34 between the endlessconveyor belts 32 and 33, Figs. 1 to 3. These belts advance the tobaccoleaves side ways between the upper and lower pairs of chains 35 and 36which are carried on. the sprocket wheels 37, 38, 39 and respectively.Mounted on these chains are bars 4 at regularly spaced intervals each ofwhich are provided with the carding member 5 or other means forstrippingthe leaves from the stems. It will be seenthat as the bars 4 come aroundtheir respective sprocket wheels 37 and 39 in the 3 direction of thearrows they will meet in a cooperative manner and the carding on thecorresponding bars will move along the stem of the tobacco to remove theleaf therefrom. When these'bars o-r stripping elements reach sprockets38 and 40 they separate, a part of the stripped leaf being carriedupward by the upper bar and a part is carried downward by the lower bar.A cleaning roll 7, Fig. 1, is provided for brushing the stripped leafout of the teeth of the carding member 5. A cleaning roll alone,however, does not have the desired effect as the stripped leaf will tendto fall behind or in front of the bars L and thereby will be out ofreach of the cleaning roll 7. For this reason and according to theinvention yielding surfaces are provided to procure a surface for thetobacco leaf. In Fig. 1 the brushes 1 are mounted on a segment 2 securedto the shaft 3 and which providea yielding surface which is so timed asto follow closely behind the strip per bars 4 which are faced with thecarding member 5 to which the tobacco leaves 6 cling after having beenstripped from the stems. The brushes 1 form a supporting surface for theleaves 6 and keep the leaves from falling inwardly towards the shaft 3and away from the cleaning roll 7. The stripped leaves are thus held outin contact with the cleaning roll 7 which is rotating in the directionof the arrow and thereby enables the cleaning roll to pull them out ofthe teeth of the carding 5.

The cleaning roll 7 is shown in Fig. 1 as being composed of wire cardingwrapped around a core but it may be composed of thin sheet metal bladesas shown in Figs. 2 and 6 or a corrugated roller 10 as shown in Fig. 3or even a roller having flaps of leather or similar material 23 as shownin Fig.4. In Fig. 2 the stripper elements 4 and 5 are both preceded andfollowed by segmental surfaces 8. These surfaces are integral andsecured to theshaft 3. The forward part of segment 8 is provided toprevent the tobacco leaf 6 from falling over the front of the strippingelements 4 and 5 and which will hold the tobacco in the path of thecleaning roll 31.

test-49? a pair of cooperating stripping elements for stripping the leaffrom the stems; a cleaning element for each stripping element adapted toremove the leaf therefrom; and an auXiliary surface cooperating witheach stripping element movable against the stripped tobacco leaves toprevent the leaves from moving out of the range of the cleaning element.

7. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a pair of cooperating strippingelements for stripping the leaf from the stems; a cleaning element foreach stripping element adapted to remove the leaf therefrom; and anauxiliary surface in the form of a brush cooperating with each strippingelement movable against the stripped tobacco leaves to prevent theleaves from moving out of the range of the cleaning element.

8. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a pair of cooperating strippingelements for stripping the leaf from the stems a cleaning element foreach stripping element adapted to remove the leaf therefrom; and an auX-iliary surface in the form of a plurality of brushes cooperating witheach stripping element movable against the stripped tobacco leaves toprevent the leaves from moving out of the range of the cleaning element.

9. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a pair of cooperating strippingelements for stripping the leaf from the stem; a cleaning element foreach stripping element adapted to remove the leaf therefrom; arotatablymounted segment; and an auxiliary surface in the form of abrush mounted on the segment, said brush being adapted to follow thestripping element to prevent the leaf from moving out of the range ofthe cleaning element.

10. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a pair of cooperatingstripping elements for stripping the leaf from vthe stems; a cleaningelement for each stripping element adapted to remove the leaf therefrom;a rotatablymounted segment; and a pair of auxiliary surfaces betweenwhich the stripping element cooperates the forward surface preventingthe leaf from falling over the front of the stripping element and therear surface preventing the leaf from moving beyond the range of thecleaning element.

11. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a pair of cooperatingstripping elements for stripping the leaf from the stems; a cleaningelement for each stripping element adapted to remove the leaf therefrom;a rotatably mounted segment; and a pair of auxiliary surfaces betweenwhich the stripping element cooperates the forward surface preventingthe leaf from falling over the front of the stripping element and therear surface preventing the leaf from moving beyond the range of thecleaning element the rear surface being composed of a brush.

12. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a pair of rotatably-mountedchains; co-

operating stripping elements mounted on the chains; acleaning elementfor each cooperat ing strippingelement adapted to remove the leaftherefrom; a pair of auxiliary surfaces rotatably mounted andcooperating. with the stripping elements topreventthe leaf from movingbeyond the range of the cleaning ele;'

ment; anda' coverbetween the auxiliary surfaces to prevent any freeleaves from falling over theedge of the auxiliary surfaces,

vl3. A tobacco stemming machine comprisinga pair of rotatab'ly-mountedchains; cooperating stripping elements mounted on the chains; a cleaningelement for each cooperating stripping element adaptedto remove the leaftherefrom; and a brush mounted on each chain and immediately in the rearof each stripping element movable against the stripped tobacco leaves toprevent the leaves from moving beyond the range of the cleaning element.

14. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a stripping elementforstripping the leaf from the stem; a cleaning element for the strippingelement adapted to strip the leaf therefrom; and a concave surfacemovably mounted and adapted to be moved in cooperation with the cleaningelement after the passage of the stripping element to prevent the leaffrom moving beyond the range of the cleaning element.

15. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a stripping element forstripping the leaf from the stem; a cleaning element for the strippingelement adapted to strip the leaf therefrom; a concave surface movablymounted and adapted to be moved in cooperation with the cleaning elementafter the passage I of the stripping element to prevent the leaf frommoving beyond the range of the cleaning element; and a cam for actuatingthe concave surface toward and away from the cleaning element to permitthe passage of the stripping element.

16. A tobacco stemming machine comprising a stripping element forstripping the leaf from the stem; a cleaning element for the strippingelement adapted to strip the leaf therefrom; a concave surface movablymounted and adapted to be moved in cooperation with the cleaning elementafter the passage of the stripping element to prevent the leaf frommoving beyond the range of the cleaning element; a rotatably-mounted camin the form of an endless track; and means cooperating with the trackand the surface to actuate the concave surface toward and away from thecleaning element to permit the passage of the stripping element.

17 A tobacco stemming machine comprising a stripping element forstripping the leaf .from the stem; a cleaning element for the strippingelement adapted to strip the leaf therefrom; a concave surface movablymount ed and adapted to be moved in cooperation iz o with the cleaningelement after the passage of the stripping element to prevent the leaffrom moving beyond the range of the cleaning element; arotatably-mounted cam in the form of an endless track; a cam levercooperating with the track; and a connecting rod connecting the camlever and the concave surface, said levers actuating the concave surfacetoward and away from the clean ing element to permit the passage of thestripping element as controlled by the cam track.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

CLAIBORNE WL GOOCH, JR.

